Rising Fuel Prices Cause Roadside Stations to Close: Sunday Drives and Roadside Stops Become a Memory

Out in the back woods of North Florida, on highway 90 in Olustee, a small town that you don't even need to blink to miss it, there is one gas station connected to the only convenience store, actually the only store of any kind for the next several miles. A great place for boaters to fuel up before hitting the waters at Ocean Pond for a day of fishing. Only, there is no more fueling up for the outdoorsmen of the area, and any travelers taking the scenic route through the upper half of Florida had better be sure to gas-up before driving through the rural area of Olustee. There is no more fuel. The pumps that don the lone station cannot rise above $3.99 per gallon.

In order for the owners to continue their business as they have known it for two generations, they must invest in an updated tank and new pumps. But while earning only about 2 cents per gallon after fuel taxes, the $200,000 price tag for the upgrade would not be worth it.

Across the country "Mom and Pop" stations are closing down due to the rise of fuel prices and the cost of upgrades. We are a country under siege in this gas-war and the moguls are winning.

A simple outing to the local lake is too much of a luxury to afford. As one drives along highway 90, it is a boat buyer's dream as the sportsman sells off his weekend toy along the roadside, hoping to make enough to fuel up his pick-up truck for awhile just to get to work.

Our country is changing, and it has been for the worst. When we are putting the family run stations out of business, the true meaning of America seems to be fading well off into the distance. These travelers' delights are becoming a memory rather than an opportunity. And a "Sunday Drive" is near non-existent.

I can remember a time when my father would load up the station wagon with the lot of us and take a drive up the California coast. We would stop for a root beer float or some cherry cider. Fueling up was part of the journey at 39 cents per gallon and treats from the shop that housed the gasoline was fuel for a child. Just a memory. Like a day in the country is becoming now. It's all just a memory.